There’s one dish that holds a special place in the hearts of Aussies everywhere: the Chicken Schnitzel. This beloved classic has become more than just a meal. It features on pub menus from Bondi to Perth, and become a popular dinner favourite across our nation.
Classic Schnitzel Cooking Tips
Here are some invaluable cooking tips from Manu:
- The secret to a crispy crumb coating is in the prep. Start by setting up an assembly line: a plate of seasoned flour, a bowl of beaten eggs, and a plate of breadcrumbs. Don’t forget to season each component with salt and pepper so that every layer is packed with flavour.
- For an extra crunchy coating, use panko breadcrumbs. They’re larger and airier than regular breadcrumbs, giving you that perfect golden crunch.
- To get your schnitty crispy and golden, make sure your oil is hot before adding the chicken. Heat it up to around 180°C – test it by dropping in a small piece of bread—if it browns in about 60 seconds, you’re good to go.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary. Too much chicken in the pan at once can result in soggy schnitty soggy.
- Marinade magic: giving your chicken breast fillets a quick soak in a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs can add extra flavour and moisture. Just make sure to pat them dry before coating to get that crumb to stick perfectly.
Here, Manu Feildel provides several delicious chicken schnitzel recipes.
The Classic Schnitzel Recipe
Here is how to make a Classic Schnitzel from scratch:
Ingredients
- Chicken breast – boneless and skinless – pounded flat between plastic
- Eggs – lightly whisked
- Flour
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Salt and Pepper
- Oil
Method
- Set up your assembly line. A large flat plate covered with seasoned flour, then a wide bowl with seasoned whisked egg, followed by a large plate covered with panko breadcrumbs, and lastly a tray prepared with a baking sheet.
- Dredge your pounded chicken. Taking one pounded breast at a time, cover in flour then shake off excess, then dip into egg mixture ensuring its fully covered, and lastly fully coat in panko breadcrumbs. Rest on the baking sheet and repeat with all pounded chicken breasts.
- Heat 1.5cm of vegetable oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough, place a schnitzel in and fry, the oil should sizzle. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with the remaining chicken.
The Loaded Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
You can easily turn your Chicken Schnitzel into a chicken parmigiana by adding seasoned tomato passata, ham and cheese. Then pop it under a grill for a minute – until the cheese melts.
Or you can play around with the flavours:
- make it Mexican – add Mexican spice mix into your schnitty crumbing and then top with guacamole, fresh diced tomatoes, a sprinkle of cheese and a squeeze of lime.
- go Greek – top with a sauce of fried onion, eggplant, capsicum, garlic, tomatoes, olives and oregano. Top with crumbled Greek feta.
About Farm to Fork with Manu
This recipe was created in partnership with Ingham’s as part of ‘Farm to Fork with Manu’. You can download Manu’s French and international recipes in this free e-book: https://inghams.com.au/our-brands/whats-new/farm-to-fork-with-manu/
To learn more about Ingham’s and ‘Farm to Fork with Manu’, visit inghams.com.au or follow @inghamsaustralia on Facebook, Instagram and @inghamschicken YouTube.
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